What do the rest of you Neanders use to drive PH screws?

[Edward Mitton]

In my progressive campaign to go all cordless, I have put all of my tailed and batteried drills/drivers in a drawer to be used only infrequently. Now whenever I need to drive slotted screws I reach for the standard screwdrivers or a brace fitted with the proper driver bit. For Phillips and square head screws I have become fond of chucking a standard driver bit into my old breast drill. This is of adequate size and torque to easily drive the screws.
I had a friend hanging out with me one recent afternoon as I was puttering around in the shop. I needed to hang a rack on the wall, opting to fasten it with five or six flat head Phillips screws. He marveled when I pulled my old Millers Falls hand drill to make pilot holes, followed by the breast drill, already fitted with a phillips bit, to drive the screws, in about the same time it could have been done with powered drivers, and with less noise!

The only down side to using this system is in situations where space is too tight to get good position or leverage on the breast drill. But that is not too often.

So, I was curious about how the rest of you folks do this...

[Jim Koepke]

Most of the time my Makita does the job. Other than that there are all kinds of screwdrivers, handles and bits sitting in the various tool boxes around the shop.

jtk

[Andy Blake]

I'm new to the neanderthal way and just finished my first hand project - sawhorses ala Mike Siemsen (http://schoolofwood.com/node/64). My regular Craftsman screwdriver with plastic handle wasn't up to the task of driving the screws, especially the ones going into the top plank. I picked up a set of Stanley Fat Max drivers at Woodcraft and the over-sized triangular rubber handles made the screws zip right in.

[Brian Holcombe]

The only phillips head screwdrivers I've had any success with are by Wera. Since I like fancy wooden handles I ended up getting the multi-tip screwdriver from LN with Wera tips. If I'm driving into studs, I use a cordless bosch drill that seems to work OK.

[Edward Mitton]

I fear I am becoming a stick in the mud purist when it comes to woodworking tools. Besides the ban on power tools, I've even gone as far as not allowing any plastic-handled tools in my woodworking zone! I just prefer the look of all wood, metal, stone, and glass materials in that area. I just don't consider plastics to be an appropriate material to be found in a serious Neanderthal environment. I particularly loathe the gaudy, fluorescent, sleek plastic tool handles that have pervaded display shelves of the Big Box establishments, regardless of how ergonomicly comfortable they may be. Adoption of this attitude has even meant that I've had to relegate my perennial favorite Snap-on ratcheting screwdrivers to the utility and mechanical toolboxes.

Is there something wrong with me?

My wife thinks so!

[Brian Holcombe]

Your wife is right.

That being said, I think you'll find a lot of sympathizers here. I have a place in my shop in which I've banished things that have plastic handles, with exception to Festool, which I make an exception for. I thought handtools were a waste of effort, until I bought some nice ones, now I think they're better than power tools for many operations.

[Steven Lee, NC]

Have you checked out the Grace drivers Lee Valley recently started carrying? I just placed an order for some square and Phillips drivers to take advantage of the free shipping offer. All I use the slot drivers for is opening cans of finish so I didn't see a need to upgrade something for that sort of usage. http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=70923&cat=51&ap=2

[Jim Koepke]

Maybe I am just not a Neanderthal woodworker.

The best tool at hand gets the job no matter what the handle is made of or its color.

If something needs a few electrons burnt to advance to the next step, a few electrons are sacrificed.

There are only a few power tools in my shop and that is how it is likely to remain.

My use of sandpaper has dropped significantly, yet some things will respond better to abrasives than they do to sharp edged tools.

jtk

[Edward Mitton]

I,ve seen the Grace drivers from LV, and have drooled over them (It's probably considered weird to drool over screwdrivers). Another quite possible future purchase for slot screwdrivers are the LV parallel tip drivers with 'perfect' style handles. I have a couple of vintage perfect handle drivers that I absolutely love to use, but they do have the trapezoid tips. The nice thing about the parallel tip drivers is they are hollow ground to fit nicely into a screw slot. The added feature of the LV set is the burnisher supplied to turn a burr for extra holding power. This might be overkill for a screwdriver, but they look fun to use. It'll be awhile before I spring for any of these 'luxury' items, as I haven't even yet obtained all the tools for a basic, essential Neander kit.

JK, absolutly nothing wrong with grabbing whatever tool is handy. I think I am just being over-obsessive with this whole Neander business:rolleyes:.
(Step 1 - Admit that I have a problem.....). Anyway, I'm kind of the same way with other stuff in my life as well...Even though I am employed in a high-tech company that designs and prototypes cutting edge consumer satellite electronics, my AV equipment at home is very old school. Plus I rarely watch TV anyway. ( Rather be out in the shop fettling a plane or making shavings with one). My cel phone dates from the days when making a phone call was a cel-phone's primary function. Don't need no hi-falutin' smart phone! As a part time musician, I more often play vintage acoustic instruments over electrics (even though I have both). I love anything antique, not just the tools. Currently my favorite leisuretime reading material is a reproduction of the 1908 Sears catalog I bought recently at a yard sale. I can get lost in that tome for hours....and it won't ever get used as outhouse paper, either!
So, I'm just a retro weirdo.....

[Jim Koepke]

Currently my favorite leisuretime reading material is a reproduction of the 1908 Sears catalog I bought recently at a yard sale. I can get lost in that tome for hours.

I have learned lots from old catalogs. Everything from a tools use to innovative ways to get work done.

jtk

[Judson Green]

Did a little searching and found that both the electric drill and the electric router predate the Philips head screw. From the bit of reading I did it also seems that Phillips head screw caught on due to is self centering capabilities and ford picked it up for use on the assembly line. And the square drive was born ~25 years earlier. The electrical router started as a steam driven light for the railroad companies then compressed air driven. Interesting huh?

[Andrew Bell]

I have a hex adapter for my yankee screwdriver and another for an old millers falls brace and then use the appropriate bit in those - with the yankee, it has been able to get into many places that were difficult to get to using my impact driver (which I mostly use for handyman stuff but the others when at the workbench)

[Andrew Gibson]

When I was younger I hated slotted head screws, always slipping off of them. Now that I am older I have grown to love slotted screws and my distain for Phillips has grown greatly over the last few years... at work we use predominantly square drive screws and I find them far superior to Phillips... I love my hand tools, but I don't think I will ever give up my electric tools, at least not so long as I try to make money with them.

[Joe Bailey]

I fear I am becoming a stick in the mud purist when it comes to woodworking tools. Besides the ban on power tools, I've even gone as far as not allowing any plastic-handled tools in my woodworking zone!

I thought maybe I was alone in feeling this way, but one day I took a look at the rubbermaid totes housing some specialty planes, and I knew they had to go. I guess part of my personal neander experience is having the shop look as authentic as possible. So for me, if it wasn't around during the early part of the 20th century, it doesn't belong in there.

[Max Withers]

I've happily used a Makita impact driver practically since it was invented, but also snapped off a few screws in the process. Now that I'm trying to do finer work, I'm feeling the need for better vintage screw drivers, something I thought was completely absurd mere months ago. In the meantime I've picked up a Millers Falls Yankee style screw drive, and a hex adapter.

One thing I've wondered about is if the nicer auto brands like snap-on are actually of a quality commensurate with their price. Not going to solve the plastic problem, but I imagine they'd have to be better than Borg.

[Jim Matthews]

Driving screws by hand is a thankless task that I gladly slay electrons over.

That, and I get a better looking result in tight places.
This is one of those "talking monkey" jobs that doesn't benefit from a traditional approach.

If you must drive screws by hand, follow three steps.
Pre-drill, with a Gimlet if you want to be electron-free.

Drive the first steel screw in to cut the hole and form the threads.
Use wax on the screw to make the cutting easier and allow the steel screw to be removed.

Turn the final bright brass screw in by hand, and "clock" the crosses to taste.

I like the Yankee screwdriver for driving screws by hand - less cam out to deal with to damage the surrounding woodwork.
I use an adapter from LV (http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=57809&cat=1,43411,43417).


I'll cut and drive dowels by hand to drawbore - that's traditional.
If there's more than four screws - I'm off to the Dark Side.

They've got cookies!

[Jim Koepke]

They've got cookies!

And beer for those of us who are thirsty.

jtk

[Halgeir Wold]

Just out of curiosity - don't you have Pozidrive in the US? Except for the lack of classical looks, it has a superb grip on the screw as compared to Phillips......

[Hilton Ralphs]

Phillips/Imperial vs Pozidrive/Metric

This explains the meaning of life.

[Zach Dillinger]

Honestly? Usually some ugly, non-vintage clear plastic handled Craftsman screwdrivers that I bought when I was 12 years old. Sometimes, if I have enough space, I'll get out my Grandfather's Yankee screwdriver. Unless it is a big screw, then I will get out the screwdriver bit and brace. But, most often, its the clear plastic Craftsmans.